Adventures in history: The old Redwood Stage Road of Oregon and California

Oregon Mountain, Oregon

The 1882 Wimer Toll Road

The next section of the Old Redwood Stage Road begins at the O’Brien Store and goes to the highest point of the tour at Oregon Mountain on the 1882 Wimer and Gasquet toll roads. The O'Brien Store is the last place you can purchase gas for the rest of the tour. Groceries and beverages are available here or at the grocery store in Gasquet, about 33 miles on this tour route from O'Brien.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Snow can block the road over Oregon Mountain and make it impassible. If you see snow in the mountains along the western side of the valley, it is likely the Oregon Mountain Pass is closed. If this is the case, drive south on Highway 199 to Patrick Creek and pick up the tour in the section titled "Gasquet" on the links below.

SET YOUR ODOMETER TO ZERO

0.0 O’Brien Store – Intersection of Highway 199 and Lone Mountain Road.

0.8 Road forks. GO LEFT

2.1 End of pavement. The pictures below show part of the two mile paved section of the old Redwood Highway and what the road looks like once it becomes a gravel surfaced road.

The first two miles of the old Redwood Highway are paved. The old Redwood Highway makes its way along the West Fork of the Illinois River toward Oregon Mountain.

3.0 Stone Corral – The rock wall seen to the right was reportedly used by packers in the 1850’s to prevent mules from wandering up the mountain slope when put into pasture for the evening.

4.1 The 1856 Turnpike and Puncheon Road that was discussed in the first part of the tour was the first road between Crescent City and southwest Oregon. At this point, the old Turnpike turned and climbed out of Illinois Valley on the right side of the road. This road is known locally as the McGrew Trail and is a popular 4x4 adventure route. From this point on to the top of the Oregon Mountain grade you will be traveling on the road that was constructed in 1882 by Joseph Wimer, a merchant from Waldo.

Darlingonia is also known as the cobra plant because of it's hooded head and two leaflets that appear like the forked tongue of a snake. This is an insectivorous pitcher plant and are commonly found in the serpentine rock outcrops along this tour route. 5.1 Colonies of darlingtonia are seen on the right. This is an insectivorous pitcher plant is well suited for living in bogs from springs flowing out of nutrient-poor serpentine rock.

5.3 Whiskey Creek bridge – After crossing the bridge, the road climbs for the next four miles to Oregon Mountain, the highest point on the tour route. Snow may make this section impassible in the winter.
The photos below show the road climbing up Oregon Mountain. The historic picture shows a team of horses and wagon going over the Oregon Mountain in winter snow.

7.4 The 1856 Turnpike and Puncheon Road: At the sharp turn in the road under the power lines is a good place to get out and see parts of the 1856 Turnpike road climbing from the lower right of the picture to the ridge in the upper left. The arrows point to locations where you might be able to see the road.

You may also notice that there is a patch of dense plant growth in the middle of the picture. The sparsely vegetated areas are growing on rock that have been uplifted from the upper mantle of the earth. These are the same types of rock you see around you at this vista point and are part of the largest exposures of this type of rock in North America. The denser stand of vegetation seen in the middle of the picture is growing on a type of rock called diorite. You will have a chance to see some of this up close later in the tour. Diorite is associated with the movement of molten rock in the earth's crust, some of which results in volcanic activity. This exposure of rock is probably a type of geologic feature called a laccolith, a small body of molten rock that never made it to the surface. These rocks cooled perhaps three or more miles below the surface but regional uplift during the span of millions of years have brought these rocks to the surface. Another example of this contrast in geology and plant communities is seen at the next stop.

8.3 The road crosses over a saddle that offers a view of highly contrasting plant communities as seen in the picture to the right. The sparsely vegetated forest on the right is growing on mantle rock and the densely vegetated plant community on the left is growing on diorite, the crystallized rock from ancient volcanic activity .

9.5 Oregon Mountain pass (elevation 3,100 feet) – Stay to the RIGHT at the fork. You are now crossing into California. The open area at the fork may have been the site of Robin’s Roost, a supply station that provided feed and water for teams of horses pulling freight wagons and stagecoaches up the steep grade. It later became known by the more popular name of Robber’s Roost.

9.6 Patrick Creek Road (GO LEFT). Look for a narrow road going down to the left as shown in the picture. This is the beginning of the historic Gasquet Toll Road constructed around 1886. You are now leaving the 1882 Wimer Road, which continues straight ahead.

ZERO YOUR ODOMETER and follow the road down to the LEFT to to continue the tour on the Gasquet Toll Road.

The large tree on the left as you start down from this intersection is a Port Orford cedar, one of the trees that grows only in this region. Note the small, gray-colored cones.

Another option at this intersection is to pick up the Patrick Creek Loop Tour, which follows the Wimer Road for two miles then turns onto a road that returns you to the Old Redwood Stage Road in the next section of this tour. The link above takes you to the section of the Patrick Creek Loop Tour that starts at this intersection. If you want to follow this alternate route, SET YOUR ODOMETER TO ZERO and continue straight ahead to follow the Patrick Creek Loop Tour on the Wimer Road. Click the NEXT link at the bottom of the Wimer page for the next section of the Patrick Creek Loop Tour. Note that the road on part of this route is a more rough than the one you are on and requires more than average vehicle clearance. Read both sections of the Patrick Creek Loop Tour first before deciding if your vehicle and your backcountry driving skills are adequate for going over this route. The Patrick Creek Loop follows a ridge used by the Cold Springs Mountain Pack Trail, established in 1852. From this ridge you can see both the 1857 Turnpike road and the Wimer Road where they merge at Sourdough Flats Junction on the Oregon-California state line. There are also some nice hiking opportunities on this route including the High Dome Meadows Trail, the Prospect Darlingtonia Pond Hike and a section of the historic Cold Springs Mountain Pack Trail. The Patrick Creek Loop is about five miles longer than staying on the old Redwood Highway route.

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Disclaimer: All information in Highway199.org is accurate to the best knowledge of the author. However, conditions in outdoor settings can change dramatically after storms or fires. For this reason, travelers are advised to check current road conditions before traveling through the area, drive responsibly and take measures to understand safety issues in the region. When participating in outdoor activities, always plan and prepare for safe hiking, swimming or any other activities mentioned in the Highway 199 website. More on disclaimer and copyright...